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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27562990">Welcome home Dad.. there might have been a small war, or two.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/starl_ng/pseuds/starl_ng'>starl_ng</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Curses, Other, Sickfic, They all got wings my dudes, Wingfic, phil is a good dad, sleepy bois inc - Freeform, spells, techno is just touch starved and wants his family back, whooooo magic, wilbur is kind of a dick in this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:40:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27562990</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/starl_ng/pseuds/starl_ng</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been so long since he had been to the SMP world his boys resided in, so much had changed. If anyone was looking at their comms they would have seen a single line of text pop up.<br/>-Ph1lza has joined-</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>No Romantic Relationships - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>350</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Welcome Home.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I need more Dadza fluff, okay?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been so long since he had been to the SMP world his boys resided in, so much had changed. If anyone was looking at their comms they would have seen a single line of text pop up.<br/>
-Ph1lza has joined-</p><p>He flew over the vast forests and blistering deserts until he arrived at the coordinates his youngest sons had told him to be at. He sat up in one of the many oak trees that littered the area and waited patiently. Soon enough, two male voices and a female voice broke through the trees, Phil caught himself smiling, the female voice must be Niki, his twins had told him about the girl from Germany that had fought with them for freedom and healed up both Tommy and Tubbo after they had been shot. </p><p>His blood boiled in his ears and his smile fell as he remembered why he was here. His second oldest, Techno, had shot his younger brother, and the boy had been on the brink of death for days before Niki had finally been able to break the infection that had ravaged his burns. Tommy had frantically contacted him, begging him to come back and giving him the rundown. It turned out power had corrupted his oldest, Wilbur. He had assumed his instructions for Wilbur and Techno had been clear. Take the twins to the SMP world that Dream had created, and stay there until they got the comm it was safe to come home. Now, not even a year later, his sons had been faced with death more times than even Phil himself.</p><p>The voices appeared again right below Phil and he looked down. There they were, the twins, Tubbo and Tommy, and with them, a very nice looking young woman he could only assume was Niki. They were giggling and pushing each other around. It made Phil’s heart swell to see his boys so happy. They had been through so much, especially at such a young age, they deserved to be teenagers. He had tuned out their conversation, and focused on it again as he heard his name. </p><p>“What if dad doesn’t show?” Tubbo quipped, anxiously shifting his eyes up to the canopies above them. As if his father would magically appear. “What if he can’t find us?” He grabbed his twin’s hand and shrunk away from the dark forest that surrounded them.</p><p>“Well well well boys! You’d really doubt your old man like that?” Phil chuckled and jumped down from his perch to meet his sons. “Come here.” He smiled and opened his arms, his calm facade crumbling as the twins ran into his embrace and started sobbing. He held the trembling boys in his arms and gestured to the shy girl that still stood apart from the group. “Don’t worry Niki, I won’t bite.” Phil shared a knowing glance with the girl, and she walked over and joined the hug.</p><p>Phil opened his elytra wings and wrapped them around himself and his kids. He had missed them so much, but his work had forced him to leave their little cottage and send the boys away, a choice he regretted almost every second. With a few short taps on the device that hung on his belt, a soft sunrise enveloped them. </p><p>Tubbo was first to react, and he nudged his twin excitedly. Tommy then nudged Niki, who turned around in awe to look at the world that now stood before them. </p><p>The three story cottage was more of a house, but it still gave off that cottage feel. With rooms for himself and each of his boys, he had also made sure there were plenty of guest rooms, and even a library, (Tubbo was dyslexic, but adored hearing stories, so Tommy, being the avid reader he was, was happy to read to his older brother.)</p><p>He gently pulled Niki aside, shooing the boys into the house as they argued about which guest room Niki should have. Phil had noticed how her eyes had teared up when the house came into view.</p><p>“Are you alright Niki?” He asked, guiding her to a bench that overlooked the lush garden.</p><p>Niki nodded slowly. “I just didn’t expect that the twins had a whole life they had left. And- And I didn’t know we’d be leaving, so I left Fundy in the medbay with Eret, they both got sick or poisoned or something a while ago and I’ve been treating them but they just haven’t gotten better and-“ She paused and inhaled shakily. “I’m sorry Sir..” She sniffled.</p><p>“No need to apologize Niki. Do you have the coordinates for the medbay?” Phil asked, entering them into his device as she rattled them off. “I’m going to get them. I’ll bring them back here, I’m sure you’ve done a great job, but I can probably treat them better here than in that ravine that Tommy says you’ve all been living in. I’m surprised you aren’t all sick with something seeing how irresponsible my oldest boys have been.” He ushered Niki towards the house, where she was met by the twins, who eagerly pulled at her sleeves to try and be the one to show her around their childhood home.</p><p>Phil pressed the coordinates on his device and was transported to a damp cave, one that reeked of sickness and sorrow. He squinted through the dim lighting and finally noticed the two boys Niki had been talking about. Neither looked much older than his twins, but they could have been anywhere from 16-20 if the illness was that bad. He hadn’t been told which boy was which, but based on what Niki had told him, he could make a decently accurate guess.</p><p>The boy on the left’s eyes were closed, a red cape thrown over him like a blanket. Eret, he assumed, based on the cape, and the fact that Niki had mentioned he was in a worse condition than Fundy, rendering him unconscious most of the time. Phil scooped him up and held him to his chest, shushing him gently when he whined at the change in position. </p><p>The other boy, Fundy, happily accepted the fact he had been picked up, and nuzzled deeper into Phil’s embrace. Phil found himself smiling, reminiscent of when the twins would be sick together. Tommy, ever the clingy daddy’s boy would nuzzle his way into the crook of his neck. Tubbo, who never really liked to be touched, would shy away from the embrace until it occurred to him who it was.</p><p>Another small adjustment and he was able to press the device on his belt, transporting them back to the house. They were met by Niki and the twins, who helped Phil into the house with the boys. He laid them both down in a guest room with two beds. “Niki, you do an excellent job of stabilizing them. Why don’t you go explore with the boys? I’ve told them to leave their communicators on so I can update you if anything changes.” Niki nodded and found herself being dragged away by the twins, both of which were speaking over the other about their favourite places in their home world.</p><p>Phil shrugged off his coat and unfurled his wings from where he had hidden them. There was no reason for him and his boys to stow away their wings at home, and his boys trusted Niki. He groaned with relief as the black feathers stretched towards the walls. </p><p>To most people, Phil and his sons were human, but in reality, he and his boys were winged, a strange mutation that only affected a few thousand people throughout all of the worlds he had travelled. Phil’s wings were ones of a raven. Wilbur’s, a falcon. Techno’s, a phoenix. Tubbo’s, a butterfly, and Tommy’s, a ladybug. Winged ones like Phil and his sons were cast out of society, so most stayed hidden, keeping their wings out sight from humans for as long as they were around civilization.</p><p>Phil stretched out his wings again, relaxing as the intense pressure of having them hidden dissipated. He rolled his shoulders and got to work on the two sleeping boys.</p><p>----</p><p>The twins dragged Niki along towards the forest that surrounded their cottage. They emerged through the trees into a circular clearing filled with wildflowers. The boys let go of Niki’s hands and stood back from the girl, there were two small pops and suddenly each of the boys had a translucent pair of insect wings on their back. Niki’s jaw dropped, and the boys laughed at her expression. “I- I- I thought I was the only one.” She admitted, causing the twins’ faces to melt into the same confusion she had expressed seconds earlier. Niki grinned and two small, white wings extended from her back, poking through two holes in the back of her shirt. They weren’t sleek and well groomed like Phil’s were, but were crooked and dirty, probably from months of keeping them hidden. “I guess I was wrong about that.” She whispered, looking down at her ratty old red Converse. She stumbled backwards as two bodies collided with her, wrapping her in a hug, careful of her delicate flight feathers.</p><p>“We should show dad! He’d be so excited to have another feathered in the house, Techno and Wilbur have feathers too, but they could keep their wings hidden much longer than the rest of us.” Tommy said suddenly. “They never liked to have them out for too long, said it was dangerous to their reputations as feared rulers or something equally stupid.” </p><p>“Would you be okay with telling dad?” Tubbo asked, shooting a glare at his twin. “There’s nothing to worry about, he’s winged too. A raven. It’s pretty pog.” The older twin smiled at Niki as she nodded uncertainly. The trio began their trek back to the house, stopping whenever one of them got distracted by a pretty flower (often), or when Tubbo saw a bee (even more often), or when Tommy tripped over his shoelaces (every few seconds). The beginning of the walk was spent mostly in silence, but when the silence became uncomfortable, Tommy was the first to break it with a nonsense story he had been writing. Tubbo eventually joined in, adding ideas to the growing plot, and Niki eventually started to chip in, her creativity in battle being a perfect addition to the quickly expanding tale that Tommy had created in his mind. By the time the house came into view, the teenagers had created an entire universe from the few small ideas Tommy had started with. The three were in the middle of a light hearted, albeit heated debate over the main character, with Niki saying the heroine should end up with a girl, Tommy saying that romance wasn’t supposed to a part of the plot, and Tubbo was trying to make sure the two didn’t take off into the air and start throwing blows. (Not because he thought Niki would get hurt, but because he was pretty sure Niki was totally capable of knocking his little brother right out of the sky). </p><p>The group walked through the doors of the house, still bickering playfully,and made their way upstairs and to the guest room. Niki instinctively hid her wings under her skin, and Tubbo offered her a comforting smile. They entered the room to see what they had almost stopped hoping for, Eret, awake and having a quiet conversation with Phil. The boy’s white eyes were fever-glazed and hazy, but he seemed lucid. Phil paused the conversation as the teens came inside, and stepped away from the bed as Niki rushed forward and wrapped her best friend in a hug. Her wings burst free from her back and surrounded herself and the older teen, much to Phil’s surprise. The twins nodded at their father’s bewildered stare. </p><p>“She's winged? I would have never realized with how well she hides them, did she tell you?”<br/>
Phil questioned as his boys led him outside of the room. “Eret is as well, which is most likely why they’re so close with Niki, and Fundy is a solid maybe, I haven’t had time to check between replenishing their fluids and getting them to take the medicine, Eret was so much worse off.” He fretted, glancing back towards the guest room anxiously. He wrung his green and white striped bucket hat between his hands, nearly tearing it in half. “He’s still cursed, and the magic can only be removed by the caster..” At that point the twins were hanging on to every word that passed their father’s lips. “Luckily I managed to get a trace of the spell off of Eret’s cape, and used it to track down the man who cast it..” He said sadly. “Who did it?” The boys asked simultaneously, not even pausing to laugh at the synchronization of their words. </p><p>Phil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, this whole ordeal was giving him a headache, not only had he discovered two, possibly three more wingfolk, two of them had been at death’s door for hours. His youngest sons had been killed and resurrected more times than even he had. His oldest boys, the two he trusted would care for their brothers and not cause issues, had proven untrustworthy and easily persuaded. Techno had run off for months, and Wilbur had started a war, a country, then been exiled from that country and went off to live in a ravine. He looked at his twins, his boys that had always looked up to him, his youngest sons, with their shimmering insect wings twitching behind them. The beautiful wings that were once slashed and torn, the wings he had carefully set in slings and fixed up, the wings that still bore scars of that long ago attack on the wing folk-friendly orphanage, the wings that had been torn up by the very biological father of the twins that carried them. The wings that had later been tattered by another boy years later, although an accident. The very same boy that had cursed the twins’ friends. Those gorgeous, breakable wings that carried so many years of pain and fear, flapping gently in the breeze that blew through the hallway. </p><p>“It was Wilbur.. With Techno’s power.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My beta readers hate me for that last paragraph. Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. You're not there.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the teens spend a day doing some wing maintenance and figuring things out, they return back to the house. Little do they know things are about to get much worse.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>General trigger warnings for this chapter include:<br/>- Mentions of implied abuse<br/>-Mentions of PTSD, description of minor panic attack/ dissociation.</p>
<p>I think that's it for now, let me know if I should add any others!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been three days since the strange group of teenagers had arrived at the cottage. Eret and Fundy had been deemed well enough to leave their beds and explore with the twins and Niki, but every once in a while they would have to be brought back to their room after collapsing in a fit of exhaustion. Fundy had revealed his bat-like wings on the second day, and most of the teens’ time had been spent racing around in the air, playing games that were no fun with two people like how the twins had always played, but were perfect for five people.</p>
<p>The teens were currently sitting in the clearing they had claimed as their hangout spot, the two teenagers with feathered wings, Niki and Eret, were sitting with their backs to the other three while the ones without feathers combed through their wings. It had been Tubbo’s idea, when Eret had revealed their wings to be those of a dove, like Niki’s. Both sets of white feathers were bent and filthy, having been gathering dirt and unable to be cleaned for fear of discovery. The older twin had asked if the two were okay with their wings being touched. “Just to straighten them out. It can’t be comfortable like that.” He said. So here they were, still building the imaginary world from days before. Their laughter floated through the trees.</p>
<p>“Wait!” Fundy cried suddenly, causing Tommy to accidentally pull on one of Niki’s feathers. “Why is the city called Berg? Why not name it L’manberg?” The hybrid questioned, referring to the city he had been born and raised in. Niki voiced her agreement, and even Eret added his opinion. Eventually, Tommy gave in. “Fine! He groaned. “Elizabeth will live in L’manberg!” Which caused a round of ecstatic cheering from the other four teenagers.</p>
<p>Hours later, just as the sun began to sink below the trees, they were all laying in the grass, watching the clouds float by. They were talking, sometimes about what they left behind, Tommy’s story, other times about everything and nothing at all. Their faces glowed in the gentle light of the lanterns Phil had placed along the edge of the clearing to ward off monsters.</p>
<p>“If you had one wish..” Niki began, and the others smiled excitedly. This was a game they had played as little kids, a wish about any topic the asker demanded. “One wish to change the world, what would it be?” One by one the group put up their hands. “I’ll go first.” Niki grinned. “Freedom for wingfolk.” She said softly, toying with the strap of her overalls. “I wish we didn’t have to hide our wings under jackets, or in our backs when we go places humans go.” the group nodded in agreement, freedom for wingfolk was a common topic that the children of L’manberg often discussed. Even when posing as humans, the rights of their winged counterparts had seemingly always come up, no matter the moment.</p>
<p>Tommy cleared his throat. “I wish that L’manberg hadn’t had that stupid election.” He said bitterly. It had been the election that had started Wilbur’s spiral into madness. When Jschlatt had been allowed to visit the SMP world at Tommy’s request, he had run for president and won, exiling Tommy and Wilbur to Pogtopia. Tubbo placed a comforting hand on his twin’s shoulder and pulled him into an awkward side hide. Tommy scoffed, trying to cover up the tears that threatened to spill over. “God Tubs you’re so clingy.” He grumbled into the soft cotton of Tubbo’s shirt, secretly grateful for the distraction. His grip on Tubbo tightened, and everybody silently agreed to not mention it. They had all been through so much, there was no judgement at that point. That moment, in that clearing, that was for them. And only them.</p>
<p>“I wish I could bring everyone back to my castle and we could all live happily, no need to be worrying about Wilbur and his plans.” Eret said softly, he had removed his glasses as the sun set, and her white eyes reflected the light of the lanterns. Eret’s castle and ruler status had been revoked before the second war, when Karl had snuck into a private channel between Eret, Niki, and Fundy. Karl had then reported back to Dream, who had dethroned the king almost immediately. They had been able to keep the castle for the time being, but their title as king of SMP had been stripped from them and awarded to George, one of Dream’s best friends. Niki moved a bit closer to her friend and Eret leaned against her, their height almost causing the smaller girl to topple over.</p>
<p>“I wish that we could stay like this forever. Wings out, hot food on the table at home, warm beds to fall into after a long day, medicine when we get sick, clean clothes to change into every morning, a dad who cares.” Tubbo sighed happily, staring up at the star-speckled sky that reminded him so much of his father, back at the house, who’s freckled face could light up a room when he smiled. </p>
<p>“What about you Fundy?” Niki asked gently, startling the fox hybrid out of his daze. She and Eret moved onto either side of the other boy and hugged him. “You alright?” Eret whispered into his friend’s ear. Fundy shook his head vigorously and covered his ears with his hands, seeming on the verge of tears. “Your wings are twitching like you want to take off. You’re safe. Remember? Phil is taking care of us and trying to find a cure, you’re not with him anymore Fundy.” They soothed, rubbing circles into the small of Fundy’s back. Nobody knew exactly what had happened to the boy when Schlatt had taken over, but in those few days he had lost everything. His home, his freedom, one of his best friends, his adoptive father, Wilbur. To then be cursed by the same man who had taken him under his wing? It was a miracle Fundy was still as sane as he was.</p>
<p>It took a few minutes, but eventually Fundy was able to snap out of whatever flashback was plaguing him. By then night had fallen, a deep black surrounding the clearing, broken only by the lanterns around the border and leading back to the house. “S-Sorry..” Fundy stammered, clinging to Eret like a lifeline. “It came on so fast-” Niki quietly shushed the shivering boy, helping him stand up. “It’s alright kleiner fuchs, die stille.” Niki soothed, slipping into German for a moment and using a nickname she had given to the hybrid when they were growing up. “Let’s head back in. You’ll catch a cold out here, especially without your jacket Fundy. Then you’ll have both me and Phil fussing over you, and I bet you don’t want that.” </p>
<p>Fundy let out a breathy chuckle, a welcome noise. “You two would mother hen me to death.” He joked, slinging an arm around Niki and lightly punching her in the shoulder. This prompted a play fight that lasted until the five teens were crowded around the wooden table in the living room and dug into the spread that was laid out for them by Phil. The man had appeared for a moment to chastise the twins for not washing their hands, before heading back up to his office to continue working to try and break the spell. The children had no idea what was actually happening to Eret and Fundy, but they would soon find out that what they had experienced was far from the worst of it. Laughably so.</p>
<p>Phil had been working tirelessly on a way to break the curse. He had barely slept, and there were dark circles under his watery blue eyes. His wings twitched every few seconds, but he hadn’t been outside to let them stretch, even for a few moments. His feathers itched something awful, but he had to keep working to break what was crippling the twins’ friends. Who knows how long the spell had been affecting them? Niki, bless her, had only noticed when the two boys had been bedridden, so there was no way of knowing how long the magic had been inside the boys, slowly eating away at them. The older man rubbed at his tired eyes and groaned as his wings twitched again. It seemed hopeless. </p>
<p>Wilbur had never been able to do much magic, and it had always angered him when his younger brothers were summoning sweets or making themselves fly faster. Techno was the most skilled of the four boys, and by the time he had moved out, he had begun mastering spells even Phil couldn’t completely understand. The twins were much younger than their brothers, but were also quick to figure out their own magic. So how could Wilbur have used Techno’s power? It was impossible, Wilbur was powerless, he couldn’t do magic. Techno was the only one who could use his powers. People who could do magic were unable to share their power with others, and even if Techno could, he wouldn’t have once Wilbur had started spiraling. “Unless..” Phil mumbled, jotting down something in his notebook. His hand flew to cover his mouth, and he dropped his notebook on his desk with a thud. “Oh. Oh no.” Phil breathed, sitting down heavily and trying to ignore the growing panic in his chest. He hadn’t thought about that, the woman at the orphanage had warned him about a rare power set among winged children, a dangerous power set.</p>
<p>Wilbur wasn’t powerless. But he had finally mastered his gift, and Techno had been his test subject.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Once again my beta readers screeched at me for the last few paragraphs today. Thank you so much for the support on this story! I was honestly going to leave it as a oneshot, but people showed so much love for it I decided to continue! The next chapter will be some cursed bois and Phil fluff, then we'll really get to the angsty parts. I hope you enjoyed!</p>
<p>(Kleiner fuchs, die stille technically translates to little fox, the quiet, but I meant for it to say, hush, little fox.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Late Nights, Long Flights.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some cursed boys and Dadza fluff before the angst train rolls in.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the delay in posting! I just switched quads at school and final exams took up most of my week. A new chapter is already in the works!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few days later, Phil was woken up by soft whispers and quiet, giddy laughter coming down the hallway. He climbed out of bed and followed the noise to the guest room he knew Eret and Fundy were staying in. As he reached the door it swung open and Fundy yelped in fright, scrambling back up onto his bed and burying his head under his pillow. Eret stood frozen next to their own bed, looking like a deer in the headlights. “Hello.” He greeted casually. “We didn’t mean to wake you.” The teen looked down at their bare feet, an embarrassed blush spreading across their cheeks.</p><p>“I don’t sleep much anyways.” Phil assured the boys, walking into the room and closing the door. “Now..” He started, unsure of what to ask. “It’s so late, why are you two still up?” A jolt of fear shot through his chest. “Are you alright? Are you in pain?” He asked nervously, examining the two as if their injuries would manifest onto their skin. Both teens had been bedridden for most of the day, wracked with tremors and muscle aches that had rendered them unable to walk. Niki and the twins were happy to spend the day in the guest room, playing card games and putting Tommy’s story on paper. The symptoms had begun to wane late in the afternoon, and had almost completely vanished by nightfall. Now, Phil stared at the two, searching for any sign that their sickness could be returning.</p><p>“N-No! Nothing like that we promise. It’s just-” Eret paused and shot a nervous glance at Fundy, who had uncovered his face from under the covers. “We wanted to go outside for a bit, fly around, get some exercise.” Fundy spoke up, his fluffy ears drooping. “Spending all day in bed, it doesn’t work well with wings. We wanted to go and stretch them out so they weren’t sore tomorrow- why don’t you come with us Phil? Nobody’s seen you out to stretch your wings since we got here, it’s not good for them.” Phil’s wings gave an especially painful shudder at that moment, as if mentioning them had brought back the deep-seated ache that had been present for almost a week. He groaned and pulled them against his back. “Alright, I’ll come. But straight to bed afterwards, okay?” He smiled as the boys voiced their agreement, then lead them quietly down the stairs and out the back door into the cool night air.</p><p>The nip of the soft breeze was a welcome difference from the stifling heat of his office, and Phil sighed as his wings stretched freely into the air. He took a running start and launched himself into the sky, black wings propelling him up to the roof of the house. He sat on the corner, leaning against the chimney and kicking his feet over the garden that sat shrouded in darkness. It felt freeing, to sit on the edge of the house he had built, the house his boys had been raised in. It felt like he was a young father again, terrified of the worst case scenario but oh so excited for the best case. A rustling of wings appeared on either side of him, and without thinking he pulled both teens in so they were leaning against his shoulders. “Boys?” He asked softly, his voice breaking through the silent night. “Tell me about yourselves. I haven’t seen much of you five, and the two of you least of anyone.”</p><p>Fundy cleared his throat. “I was born in L’manberg.” The hybrid began to speak, his soft Dutch accent accentuating some of his words. “Or.. technically. See, I came back to the SMP world Dream had created and found myself surrounded by the walls of the city, when I mentioned it to Wilbur he told me that made me the first official citizen, and with that his son.. I still don’t know how that works, because my mother was a salmon.” He laughed bitterly. “I was raised there, my ‘father’ was the president, my best friend-“ he snuck a glance at Eret that didn’t go unnoticed, but Phil decided not to mention it. “Well.. he betrayed our nation for the throne and Wilbur never trusted him again, even after he joined Pogtopia’s side..” Fundy fell quiet, and his shoulders shook with silent tears. He leaned heavily against Phil’s side, and the older man wrapped an arm around the orange haired boy. “Eret? What about you?”</p><p>Eret smiled sadly. “I’m an open book sir- Phil..” he corrected himself quickly, still not used to calling people anything but sir or ma’am. “I’ve lived in the SMP my entire life, I joined L’manberg to get away, then Dream offered me a chance to be king. I took it, I blew L’manberg sky high. I was a decent ruler.. but then Karl found out I was going to spy on Dream and help Pogtopia defeat him, Dream stripped me of my title, my home, cast me out, destroyed part of my castle.. I joined the rebellion for good. But Wilbur-“ Eret’s voice broke, and they quickly tried to cover it. “Wilbur didn’t trust I was on their side, even after I had lost everything I had fought for.. I had no reason to betray them again. Then, when it was all over, I had nothing to go back to..” The teen sniffled and leaned against Phil’s other side. </p><p>In that quiet moment, surrounded by the silence and secrecy of the night, the three felt safe. The teens had finally been able to let go of all that haunted them, and Phil made the decision then to protect the two at all costs. He extended his wings and surrounded all of them with the black feathers. Suddenly, for the second time that night he felt like a new father again, scared, unsure, head full of possibilities, both good and bad. He smiled softly and picked up the sleeping children, slipping off the edge of the roof and gliding down into the garden. He opened the door quietly, as to not wake the twins or Niki. Slowly, the blonde man climbed the stairs towards the guest room. He laid Fundy and Eret down, and without a second thought placed a kiss on each of their foreheads. Phil made his way back to his room and collapsed into his bed, not even bothering to slip back under the covers. He would deal with it tomorrow, for now, he was sure that his kids were safe.</p><p>He was sure..</p><p>Until he woke up to sunlight streaming in through the window and pained screams echoing though the hall.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. They Woke Up Screaming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things get worse. So much worse.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just a heads up for this chapter! There is some major angst incoming! I mean it. It took me a while to write because it genuinely hurt me to torture my favourite streamers like this, but you guys wanted angst, so I’m delivering.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phil leapt out of bed and raced towards the screams, his heart racing as he prepared for the worst. He skidded to a stop outside the guest room and burst through the door, scooping up Fundy and placing him on the bed with Eret so he could try to examine them both at the same time. He barely registered the pounding of footsteps as the other teens arrived from their rooms upstairs. Niki gasped audibly, and hid her face in Tubbo’s pyjama shirt, unable to look at her best friend in such a state. The twins stood silently, wearing matching expressions of sorrow.</p>
<p>Phil held the two crying teens to his chest. He could almost feel the pain that rolled off of them in waves. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, searching for the source of the agony. The older male kept a tight grip on Eret and Fundy, running a diagnostic as he searched. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was probably only a minute or so, he found it, and what he found was horrible.</p>
<p>The curse was an ugly brown thing, like a ball of yarn, with tendrils sneaking throughout the victims. However, it was oh so painfully Wilbur. He wasn’t sure when he’d stopped referring to the two as kids, and started talking about them like they were on death’s door, and quite frankly he didn’t want to be sure. He laid them down together on Eret’s bed and took a deep breath as they clasped each other, their bodies had forced them into unconsciousness.</p>
<p>Phil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, this new development did nothing for his migraine. “Boys, Niki.” He said calmly, stepping away from the bed and walking towards the door. “Look after them. I’m going to go find your brothers.” The teens nodded in synch, and took a seat on the now empty bed opposite from their sick friends. </p>
<p>Phil walked out into the garden, standing between the carefully tended to plants. He was nervous, that much was clear. He didn’t know what his eldest was capable of, now that he had his brother’s power, his brother who was one of the most powerful mages Phil had ever encountered. Wilbur now held power over life and death, sickness and health. He was practically a god if he could figure out how to wield the magic properly.</p>
<p>The blonde man clenched his jaw in determination, and entered the coordinates he had found in Tommy’s journal. The location of Pogtopia. A warmth surrounded him, before he felt cold stone underneath his boots and shivered as the damp of the ravine seeped into his clothing, snatching the warmth from his body and leaving him shivering.</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>Phil ventured deeper into the cave, it seemed abandoned, or at least empty, but the two remaining members could be sleeping for all he knew. He wandered through the darkened tunnels until a light at the end of one caught his eye. He walked into the room and let out a pained gasp, rushing towards the makeshift bed and the seemingly unconscious man that occupied it.</p>
<p>Techno was barely recognizable, had it not been for the shock of filthy pink hair that was the subject of so many arguments, especially about the length, and the tip of a sharpened tooth poking out from below his top lip. His skin was covered in new wounds, some still bleeding. His face was gaunt, sallow, so pinched and thin it was skeletal. He radiated feverish heat, and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. The piglin cracked open a glassy, red eye and looked at Phil, terror filling his face. “Please, please don’t hurt me Wil. I don’t know where they are, I swear. I’ve told you everything.” Techno begged, scrambling towards the corner of the bed and hiding his face behind his knees. His stomach let out an angry growl, and he whimpered, curling up tightly. </p>
<p>Phil’s heart shattered at the pitiful cries that emanated from his son. He raised his hands in surrender and advanced towards Techno. “It’s okay.” He soothed, grabbing one of Techno’s trembling hands and running his thumb over his son’s knuckles. “You’re not going to get hurt again.” He promised, mumbling a simple fever reducing spell under his breath. It wouldn’t heal him completely, but it would keep him lucid enough to get back home.</p>
<p>Techno visibly relaxed as the heat died down, he blinked wearily at the winged blonde that stood before him.. “Dad?” He croaked, wincing as his stomach gave another painful twist. “Dad.” The hybrid smiled, melting into his father’s warm embrace. He was desperate, so in need of a comforting touch, he was starved of it, and had been for months. He whined as his father shifted, and held on to the soft cotton of his father’s shirt like it was the last lifeboat off a sinking ship. “He took it dad, Wil took my magic, I couldn’t fight him off. He made me sick, he made Eret and Fundy sick, he used my own power against me, and then he left.. I- I- couldn’t stop him, I’m so sorry.” Techno nuzzled deeper into Phil’s arms and shivered. “He hurt me, said it was an even playing field now because he had never had any powers when we were kids, but we were smaller then and our weapons were wooden swords, not iron and diamonds. It hurts.”</p>
<p>He cried bitterly into his father’s shoulder, all the positive memories of his older brother tarnished by whatever torture he had been through in the weeks since his power had been taken. “It hurts, and I keep trying to get out, but I’m just so tired, and every time I try I end up back here again… he took the farm too. The potatoes? Burned the thing to the ground.” Techno shook violently. </p>
<p>Phil hushed the younger man, running a hand through sweat soaked pink hair. “You’re alright Techno. It’s okay. We’re going home.” He accessed the device on his belt and felt the warm breeze of the garden surround himself and his son. He relished in the silence that suddenly surrounded them, then felt his heart quicken. Silence… a heavy silence, almost suffocating.</p>
<p>The door to the cottage swung open, but not with the grim faces of the three teenagers he had left behind. The man standing behind the door was grinning, a wild, terrifying look on his face and making his eyes sparkle in a way that was almost animalistic. Techno whimpered and hid his face in the crook of Phil’s neck, the latter of which stood frozen in the garden. He put his hands up defensively, only for the brunette in the doorway to chuckle. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Phil.” He spat the name as if it was poison, and pointed upwards, towards the roof of the house.</p>
<p>Phil dreaded looking up, but did so anyways, his mouth opened in a silent scream, and it took everything in him to not shoot up into the air and smite the beanie wearing man in front of him.</p>
<p>Suspended on a platform surrounded by concrete and a simple fence post sat his twins, Niki, Eret, and Fundy. Eret and Fundy were asleep, at least that was what Phil hoped.. Niki’s eyelids were flickering and she swayed on her feet as she tried to dig out of the concrete box. All of the teenagers‘ faces were ashen and sallow, and as Phil watched, Tommy bent over in a coughing fit, staining the front of his shirt red. Tubbo held him until the fit subsided, and Tommy leaned up against his brother weakly, struggling to keep his eyes open.</p>
<p>Wilbur laughed, a harsh noise in contrast to the deafening silence. “Welcome home dad. So sad it had to be at the repeat execution, couldn’t have waited in the ravine with pathetic little Techie a moment longer?” He wiggled his fingers and a spark blossomed from the tips of them. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have an audience.” Wil grinned and shot a spark at the ropes suspending the platform, sending the five barely conscious teens plummeting towards the ground.</p>
<p>That’s when time seemed to stop.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My beta readers hate me again. I hope you enjoyed though! We’re getting close to the end!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Magic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The teens are falling, too out of it to try and catch themselves, Wilbur is laughing, Phil is panicking, and Techno? Techno is eerily calm for someone who’s brother cursed him and is slowly killing him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger warnings for this chapter are:<br/>- Descriptions of Violence/ Injury</p><p>That’s it for now, let me know if I need to add any more!</p><p>I was planning to end the story with this chapter, but I realized it was a pretty anticlimactic ending to something that’s been building up for so long, so I’ve decided to continue. Thank you so much for all the support you’ve given me over the past month! It means the absolute world!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In those few seconds, Techno stumbled away from Phil and shed his cape, revealing wings that were bloodied and torn, missing feathers and looking almost massacred. He launched himself into the air and caught Niki and Tubbo, dropping them safely to the ground before flying again to grab Fundy. At the same time, Phil grabbed Tommy and Eret, dropping to the ground with a boy in each arm. He heard Techno groan and was immediately by his son’s side, running his hands along the ruined skin. “Oh, oh Notch Techno..” he gasped. The damage was more than ruined wings, the lack of magic that his body had grown to rely on was slowly eating at him, at his core. He would die if something wasn’t done.</p><p>Wilbur laughed, advancing towards the still unconscious Eret and reaching out a hand towards them, a pale yellow light appearing in Wilbur’s palm. Eret gasped and their back arched unnaturally, emitting a sickening crack. Phil screamed and leapt towards his son, only to be pulled back by his collar and thrown into a heap next to the still shivering Techno. He looked up and found himself face to face with a large, blonde man, his eyes were a vibrant blue, and he looked scarily familiar. </p><p>Vaguely, Phil remembered..</p><p>—</p><p>Those same eyes, digging into two young boys as the man slashed at delicate insect wings. Ignoring the cries of the toddlers and the blood that coated his hands. The man raised his eyes to stare at Phil, a murderous smile upon his lips. “Filthy winged deserve a chance to be normal. My sons deserve a chance to be normal.” He growled, back to the burning children’s home that sent black smoke billowing into the air. The screaming that broke through the frozen January air was bloodcurdling. </p><p>Phil removed his cape with a flourish and let his green tinted wings erupt from his back, causing the man to scramble backwards. Phil advanced towards the two crying toddlers on the ground and took one in each arm. “They’re not your sons anymore.” He spat, launching himself into the air and away from the direction of the cottage, once he was far enough he accessed the device on his belt, a new transportation method between locations when flying or portals weren’t an option. Ender Pearling, Dream had called it. The warmth of the house filled his lungs as he breathed in. He set the now sleeping twins on the couch and began to set the ruined wings. </p><p>“Dad?” He heard a sleepy voice ask, and as he turned around he was met with Techno looking tiredly in his direction, Wilbur a few steps behind. “Hey Blade, Wilby.. Dad’s gonna be up for a little while longer, your new brother’s got hurt by a bad man and I want to make sure they’re okay. Alright?” He whispered gently. “Head back to bed, and Tech?” His second oldest did a 180 and faced him again. “Don’t sleep with your wings in bud, it’ll wreck them.” Techno nodded, and two small red wings appeared on his back. “Goodnight kiddo, I’ll be in to check on you two in a minute.”</p><p>—</p><p>Phil instinctively punched the blonde man in the nose, and grinned as he heard a crack. The man cursed and grabbed Phil roughly, pushing him down hard, almost as if to drive his head into the stone pathway..</p><p>But he had forgotten that Phil was winged.</p><p>Phil’s wings sprung from his back just like they had that one night so many years ago, throwing the larger man off of his back. Phil flew forward with a momentum he didn’t know he still had left, and intercepted the yellow light that was creeping towards Eret’s unconscious form. He felt it burrow into him, and saw the look of shock on Wilbur’s face before he was up against the wall, pinned there by his father.</p><p>“Give it back Wil.” Phil snarled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Don’t play dumb, give Techno his power back.” When Wilbur hesitated, Phil shook him aggressively. “NOW!” He roared.</p><p>Wilbur threw back his head and laughed, a broken, harsh sound. A sound so different from the light and airy giggle of a little boy from years ago. “Oh Phil, don’t you understand? I don’t want to. This power? This, this control? It’s all I’ve ever wanted. The others, psh! They had their magic spells and potions and sparkles, but not me. Poor little Wilbur, the powerless brother. Techno, the mage with control over life and death, sickness and health, the elements themselves! Tubbo, the one with the power over animals of all shapes and sizes, nature’s very own muse! Tommy, little Tommy, the youngest, the one with the power over music, over weaponry, the one always listening to those STUPID DISCS.” </p><p>Wilbur chuckled darkly. “Then there’s little Wilby, the oldest, the one who had to sit back and watch and pretend like he could do everything his brothers could do!” He snapped, shaking in rage. “Oh, but I wasn’t powerless at all. I was just waiting, watching, trying to find the perfect option to finally show you what I was capable of. I couldn’t have gotten this far if you hadn’t sent us away. With you gone, I easily intercepted Techno at his farm and began siphoning off his magic. Then, all it took was a little persuasion and suddenly he was with us again! After the boys left, well it was perfect. Techie had been getting weaker by the day, and it would start to be noticeable soon enough, so I used Eret and Fundy as a distraction.” The brunette smiled victoriously. “It was all a set up, Phil. I knew you couldn’t abandon the boys and their friends, but Techno? Techno is a strong boy, a mage almost as powerful as you. He can handle himself.”</p><p>Techno groaned behind Phil, and he turned around just in time to see the blonde man standing over him, Techno’s wings grabbed and pinned in a horrible position. Phil yelled and raced towards the pink haired man, knocking the attacker off balance and sending him screaming into one of the many portals that littered the yard. He hushed the hybrid calmly, and held him close to his chest. “It’s alright Techno. It’s okay.” He soothed.</p><p>During the distraction, Wilbur had advanced towards Eret again, the pale light enveloping his hands and reaching towards them. Their back arched again, and a silent scream left their lips. Wilbur chuckled and wriggled his fingers around, warming them up, before trying to shoot the light at the unconscious teenager. He yelped in surprise when his hands were caught, one by a dark orange rope, the other by a pale pink. Both ropes buzzed with magic, with a power that combined was far greater than his own. He turned away from Eret slowly, and noticed Niki and Fundy holding him in place. Tommy held on to Niki’s rope with her, and Tubbo held Fundy’s. The ropes tightened, and the four pulled hard on them, sending Wilbur stumbling to his knees. </p><p>Niki stepped forward after Tommy had tied their rope to a fence post, her eyes were alight with an anger that hadn’t been seen since the rule of Schlatt. “You fucked with the wrong person.” She spat, winding up and punching Wilbur in the jaw. “That’s for Eret.” An especially strong hit to the nose. “That’s for Fundy.” A slap. “For the twins.” She wound up on final time and sent her fist right between his eyes, rendering him unconscious. </p><p>“And that one was from me you pompous prick.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was really hard to write for me, I wanted to end it here with Wilbur being defeated but I honestly thought that would be a bad way to finish the story, especially when I’ve delved into the extent of this curse so much. So it’ll be a few more chapters! Ten at most. This is one of the longest works I’ve ever written and I’m so glad everyone is enjoying it so much!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Over 160 kudos? You guys spoil me. Updates will be sporadic, but hopefully a new chapter will be out every one to two weeks! Thank you for all the support! It means the absolute world to me as a writer.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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